Snow grinding device



Feb. i w. J. OBRIEN SNOW GRINDING DEVICE Original Filed May 8, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet l f a w a IHIIU a 0M m w k a 5/ 7 m m w W /H Feb. 8, '1 w. u. OBRIEN SNOW GRINDING DEVICE Original Filed May 8 1940 I W 47 W cles.

ject is to so construct such a device that it can.

Patented F eb. 8, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SNOW GRINDING DEVICE William J. OBrien, Boston, Mass.

Original application May 8, 1940, Serial No. 334,009. Divided and this application June 30, 1941, Serial No. 400,533

2 Claims.

als'o dispose of foreign objects such as stones readily. A further object is to provide a rotatable funnel through which the ground snow can be discharged at different points. A still further object-is to construct the driving means for said device so that a snow discharge funnel and the snow grinding means may be simultaneously operated from the same source of power.

The foregoing and other objects which will appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, may be accomplished by a construction, combination and operative arrangement of parts such as is disclosed by the drawings and specification. The nature of the invention is such as to render it susceptible to various changes and modifications, and, therefore, I am not to be limited to said disclosure but am entitled to all such changes therefrom as fall within the scope of my claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of my device the driving shaft being shown broken away.

Figure 2 is a sectional view showing details of the means for supporting and rotating the funnel into which the snow passes after being ground.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 33 of Figure 5, showing more details of said means.

Figure 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of my snow grinding device.

Figure 5 is a sectional plan view taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 4.

As illustrated, my device has a receptacle 50 to receive snow, which is preferably cylindrical. The snow is ground within said receptacle by means of a rotatable grinder member having a vertical shaft 52 which is rotatably mounted in a base member 53 having ball bearings 54 therein, and which is bolted as at 55 to said receptacle 50. Mounted to said shaft 52 are horizontally extending grinding arms 56, the ones in the upper portion of said receptacle 50 preferably extending but a short distance laterally in opposite directions from said shaft 52, said arms 56 gradually lengthening so that they extend farther towards the inner periphery of said receptacle 50 the farther down in said receptacle they are until about half way down they extend to a point adjacent said inner periphery. This arrangement leaves more space in the upper portion of said receptacle for the snow to drop into unimpeded by said arms 56.

Extending across the interior of said receptacle 50 are stationary shear rods 58, there being four groups of these as shown in Figure 5 of the drawings, the rods in each group preferably extending at right angles to the rods in the groups next adjacent thereto, as illustrated in Figure 5 of the drawings. Said rods are so located that they leave considerable open space 59 in the middle of said receptacle 50 so that foreign objects such as stones, pieces of ice, etc., which cannot be ground up easily may drop through said open spaces and pass into said snow-melting tank. I preferably leave said open space 59 of greater width than the width of a said group of said rods 58, measuring the latter width from the periphery of said receptacle 50 inwardly. Also the upper said arms 56 are not long enough to span the entire space 59 so that in the upper portion of said receptacle there is clear space laterally between said grinding arms 56 and said shear rods 58. These stationary shear rods 58 may be in the form of flat steel blades or hard wire, and they are united or fastened to the sides of said receptacle 50. They are located from a point near the top of said receptacle most of the way down, being spaced from each other vertically about 1 inch, while said rotatable grinding arms 56 are spaced from each other vertically about 1 inch and are in different horizontal planes than said shear rods 58, so that said grinding arms and shear rods are spaced vertically less than /2 inch apart. This distance apart may be varied considerably, depending somewhat upon the condition of the snow to be ground or pulverized. Said shear rods 58 and grinding arms 56 are preferably made of hard metal, and, therefore, could have sharpened edges although that is not necessary in order to grind or pulverize the snow to the desired degree of fineness.

Directly below said pulverizer-receptacle 50 and rotatably connected thereto is a rotatable snowreceiving funnel 60 which has an eccentric outlet or spout 6| at one side thereof, where snow will pass from said receptacle 50 through said funnel 50 outwardly at constantly changing points due to said eccentric outlet. Said funnel 60 is rotated by means of a large driven gear 63 which has a depending portion 63a. Said gear 63 meshes with a pinion gear 64 that is driven by a vertical drive shaft 65 that can be rotated by any suitable source of power.

Said shaft 65 extends from said pinion gear 64 upwardly to a point where bevel gears 61 transmit the power from said shaft 65 to a horizontal shaft B8 an1d'thence through bevel gears 89 to said grinder shaft'52, thereby rotating said shaft 52 that carries the grinding arms 56. Said horizontal shaft 68 is rotatably mounted in the outer wall of said receptacle 50 at two different places 59a and T0.

Fastened by screws H to said receptacle Ellat its lower extremity is a ring member or skirt '52 which serves as a support for said'lar'ge gear 63 which latter completely encircles saidreceptacle 50. Said gear 63 is rotatably mounted on rollers 14 which are held in place by screws '15. Said rollers 14 travel on said skirt 12 thereby supporting said gear 63. This gfear'63 is also centrally located by rollers 76 held in place'by screws lL'which rollers roll against the outside periphery of said receptacle 5D. This perm1ts a rotative movement ofjthe gear '63 with the least amount of friction. Said'funnel 6D is fastened to said' depending portion 63a of said gear 63 by bolts 18.

While it is not absolutely'necessary to rotate said funnel Sllfand it could be an integral part of said receptacletll in the event it was stationary, nevertheless its rotation is helpful inasmuch as it avoids piling up the snow in one place.

What I clairrris:

l. A snow grinding device comprising a receptacle, a shaft therein rotatably mounted, arms extending laterally from said shaft, rods of varying lengths supported at each of their ends by and extending laterally within said receptacle, and means operably connected to said shaft to cause rotation thereof, said rods being arranged in four groups around said receptacle at right angles to eachother in planviem'therod extending farthest inwardly towards the center in any group being spaced from the center and from the nearest rod in the directly opposite group sufiiciently far to leave an open space in the middie of said receptacle that is wider than the width of. any ovne'group of said rods.

2. A snow grinding device comprising a cylinthe rotor from top to bottom of the receptacle, the arms in the upper portion of said receptacle terminating at a point spaced fromthe furthest i'nwardbortions ofther'ods toth'ereby leave a clear space in the'upper portion gfthe' receptacle and he arms in' h l wer briiqniq i d r 6 1 tacle terminating at a point substantially overlapping hesinwa si rt si t o s an v means for rotating t he shaft to grind snow 'fed intothe top of therecetpacle.

WILLfAM "J. dBRI'EN. 

